We don't yet know what Pratt's view about Sticks is, WB. He is smart enough to move softly.
As LurkerBlue says, Sticks is an iconic figure. He won't want to tear him down.
But that doesn't mean that he won't clip Sticks' wings behind the scenes.

Already, he's assigned DeBolfo and Ashman to Carlton while they remain Visy employees.

Icke has been given a wider role than Williams had, and Swann would exert more power than Malouf. It isn't hard to envisage Sticks being told to leave more decisions in their hands.

The thing is, if this happens you won't hear about it. Sticks, Pratt and Carlton have a common interest in ensuring that they don't diminish Sticks as a heroic figurehead. Unlike Smorgon, Pratt won't feel a need to assert his power in public.

Isn't it grand when we have so many people citing that their opinions are worthy of the bandwidth on the basis of what they read in the media. God help us if they take on the view expressed in this forum! Why should we get rid of sticks based on what has been said in the media, we all know that it is seldom what is said behind closed doors. Sticks is one of few that can talk to an unite all carlton faithfull from Dick Pratt to the bootstudder. His refusal to bad mouth or critisize people makes him look weak from the outside, but it also doesn't burn bridges and that is important when you are trying to unite the club. I think that he doesn't want to be responsible for the running of the club and the recruitment of Swann will relieve him of the day to day decisions that he have been responsible for. With respect to the whole Pagan V Mitchell thing personally I think that the board has given Pagan too much power in the running of the football department, and I think that they are starting to limit his power and put pressure on him to perform. Keeping Mitchell around is a message to pagan saying that you get what you want, when you give us what we want - on field performance. I predict that if Pagan make finals, Mitchell is bye, bye; if Pagan finishes 10th or below then Pegan is bye, bye. Mitchell will never be senior coach, but I think that he will be content where he is.

Steve, you seem to be trying to distort the opposing argument so you can better attack it. Just who's calling for Sticks to be sacked from both positions he holds and kicked out of the club?

Seems to me that the opposing argument is that Sticks should choose between his position as a Director and Vice-President on the one hand and Match Committee member (Chairman?) on the other.

The other strand of the argument is that his power should be reduced, but this doesn't have to be done in a way that embarrasses him or the club.

And why shouldn't we be allowed to comment on the administrative side of the club of which most of us are members? After all, we have the right to vote. But apparently we should vote without discussing the way in which the club is administered.

As to Pagan and Mitchell, can you name any other club at which the senior coach doesn't select those who work under him? It's only the fictional distinction that Mitchell is not part of the football department which means this standoff has been allowed to fester. The coach of the Bullants he may be, but in the only sense that matters to us as Carlton fans, he's the reserves coach.

If you think that introducing tension into the football department is a good thing, then good luck to you. I don't agree.

Now come on people, some of us are simply asking for Sticks to remove himself from the footy department. Not the Board and certainly not the club. We have two new people, let them get on with it!

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"our electorate seeks less to be informed and more to be validated." Sad times.

That analogy is flawed because the marketing director is overseen by the CFO and CEO or COO of a company.

How do you know some of us don't work for large successful companies? You don't.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Sticks does not need to be on either the board, or the match committee to do the things you say he'd be good at.

Sticks is Sticks. His word will always carry meaning because of who he is, he doesn't need to be on the board or MC for his words to carry weight.

Kernahan could defintely be of merit to the club in some sort of ambassaorial/motivational role, I just believe his time as a board member/match committee member should be behind him.

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